Bystander
by still.looking
Summary: Threeshot. Klavier is making a move on Ema, but someone responds weirdly.. KlavierXEma, and a surprise pairing. ; Finally, CHAPTER 3 UP. \:D/
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Ace Attorney, but Apollo Justice is mine. In my dreams.

**Summary**: Threeshot. Klavier seems to be making a move on Ema, but is someone near jealous? Read to find out~! Klaver/Ema, I swear, no matter what you read.

Hey there everyone~ I'm afraid my writing skills may have gotten a little rusty from a six-month hiatus, but I still hope you enjoy. :3 R&R please.

As you can see I'm still not so good with author's notes. ^_-"

-- Saguru

* * *

"Hey, Justice!"

Apollo almost dropped the glass shard he was examining in surprise at the voice. "E-Ema!"

"I assume you're on this case again, by the way you're poking at my crime scene?"

He managed to smile, knowing Ema wasn't genuinely mad. "Of course. There hasn't been an official request for my defense, but I'm hopeful. This case intrigues me."

"Just like that glimmerous fop," Ema muttered to herself.

"What was that?"

She Snackoo'd him.

"Er…" Apollo said, obviously dying to examine the crime scene but unsure if Ema was going to allow him.

She was going to smile, but the note about Prosecutor Gavin still annoyed her. "Go ahead, Apollo. You know your limits, anyway."

Ema's thoughts wandered as she watched over the apprentice attorney.

Klavier Gavin had taken an unnatural interest in this particular case. Maybe it was all because both the apprehended suspect and the victim were part of a band of some fame, and the murder weapon just happened to be a bass guitar. Ema thought he would hate this case, even spin a speech about the blasphemy of using a musical instrument to take the life of a bandmate, but his eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas when he saw the initial report.

"Achtung, this case intrigues me!" he'd exclaimed, and it was the statement that annoyed Ema. "Have you read this, Fraulein? It is the first time I have heard of a bass used for murder."

_Munch munch munch._

"Please say, Fraulein, that I have been assigned to this case?"

"I wouldn't have brought it to you if they didn't," Ema had muttered, particularly sleepy from the investigation briefing.

And so, Klavier Gavin was going to face off with Apollo Justice in court again.

Ema absentmindedly stared at Apollo's suit, with its bright red sheen. Her eyebrows scrunched together a bit. Something was missing… normally something evened out Apollo's red…

"Apollo?" Ema asked. "Where's Trucy?"

"Oh, her father took her out to a magic show," Apollo said nonchalantly. "I was coming along, but I caught wind of this case from Mr. Wright."

"Well, that makes sense," Ema thought.

"Ema, have you had enough time to come up with an autopsy report?"

"Oh, I completely forgot!" She thought about where she could have left it. "Hmm… I think it's in my cubicle back in Criminal Affairs. I'll go get it—"

"Wait!" Apollo said, a bit too loudly. He grinned sheepishly as Ema rubbed her ear. "I'll come with you. I've never been to Criminal Affairs anyway."

* * *

Review button is so very near.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2~! Zekiel, are you reading? XD

* * *

"Ah, so _this_ is Criminal Affairs!"

Apollo craned his head around, taking in the place.

Ema raised her eyebrows. "You're the first attorney I've met who's never been down here. Why, Mr. Wright would pop down here a lot back then."

They walked past cubicles and cubicles, some occupied by gruff detectives poring over reports and case files. He could not imagine someone like Ema working here… _but, with her Snackoo-throwing skill, she probably keeps well_, Apollo thought.

"What the—"

Ema stopped dead, and Apollo stopped too. He looked over her shoulder to see what was causing the holdup.

"Klavier Gavin, would you get yourself out of my office?!" Ema exploded.

"Oh, sorry, Fraulein," Klavier looked around the tiny cubicle door. "I was merely looking for that report from last week you owe me—well, if it isn't Herr Forehead!"

"Hey, Prosecutor Gavin."

"Herr Justice—"

Ema cut up the formalities and kicked Gavin out of the office. He stood straight, grinning, as though he was used to it, and even enjoyed it. Apollo watched him out of the corner of his eye, slightly intrigued, his face straight, his head tilted ever so slightly…

"Apollo, sorry, but this fop here has messed up my files. It's going to take longer than I thought. Make yourself comfortable, won't you?"

Apollo perched awkwardly on a sturdy-looking ancient table beside the cubicle, pushing aside some magazines. He noticed Gavin hadn't left yet. This time, his glance wasn't unnoticed.

"I am sure that you are wondering about why I am still here, ja?"

"Well, yes…" Apollo said, thoroughly uncomfortable in Criminal Affairs, while Ema and Klavier looked at home.

"Herr Forehead, I must admit, it is cute when you are awkward and stuttering," he said with a grin, and Apollo had to stifle thoughts of 'gay'. "I wonder why you do not have fangirls as I do?"

"Because he doesn't flaunt it like you do, Gavin," Ema quipped from her cubicle, as Klavier sat beside Apollo on the table. "Little Apollo there is humble."

Apollo smiled sheepishly. Klavier noted something…

"Why is it that you call Herr Forehead by his first name, and me my surname?" Klavier inquired of Ema. "Surely you, a detective, must have tighter bonds with the prosecution than the defense?"

"Yeah, well, the _defense_ is nicer," Ema said bluntly, attempting to turn over a stack of manila envelopes.

"Let me help you with that," Klavier hopped from the table and grabbed the stack, and easily turned it over.

Because he had stepped behind her to do it, Ema was now in his arms, should he tighten his hold. Klavier seemed very amused by this, but Ema slapped him away; Apollo's face was straight, and he tilted his head again, like a child pondering…

"Excuse me," a voice said, and Apollo and Klavier looked around. Klavier nodded at the man in silent acknowledgement. A single sheet of paper flew down from the stack he was carrying, and it slid neatly onto Apollo's lap. "Ah, sir, if you please."

"You're… you're Miles Edgeworth!" Apollo blurted out, paper in hand.

"Yes…" Edgeworth looked from the surprised apprentice's face to Klavier, and back. "And you are…?"

"Apollo Justice, attorney at law. I'm pleased to meet you, sir, but I thought you were abroad!"

Edgeworth showed a faint sign of interest at having met another attorney—and one who knew him, at that. "I've decided to come back for a while. A simple favor for a family friend."

"It might interest you, Herr Edgeworth," Klavier supplied. "Apollo Justice is the apprentice of Herr Wright."

Edgeworth immediately turned cold, though he fought to remain calm. "I see. It was a pleasure meeting you, Herr—Mr. Justice." He continued on his way.

Apollo looked at Klavier.

"Herr Wright and Herr Edgeworth have a complicated bond. They are complete opposites—prosecution and defense, red and blue, cold and naїve—yet they manage to get along, for they both pursue the truth. They are rivals, but they are friends…partners, even."

"Every trial that paired them up always contained at least two hours of them passing back objections," Ema laughed. "It was always heated between them. Anyway, Apollo, I've found your autopsy report—looks like _someone_ accidentally slid it into my trashcan."

Apollo took the file, opened it, and began reading hungrily.

"As for your file," Ema said pointedly to Klavier, one hand on her hip and the other on the desk, "that you claim I have not given, I gave it two hours ago."

Klavier adjusted himself so that Apollo would not see him put a hand on Ema's, and spoke so that Apollo would not hear, "Why did you attend to Herr Justice's request before mine?" He smiled as he said it, the smile he knew only Ema could resist.

"What, you're going to say I wanted to keep you around?" Ema said, in a deadpan sarcastic voice, throwing off Klavier's hand.

"Who knows." Klavier smirked amusedly.

"And why are you suddenly so conscious that Apollo is around?" Ema noticed that he was blocking her from Apollo's view almost entirely. "It's almost as if you were _jealous_ or something…"

Klavier mockingly looked offended. "Oh, Fraulein. Me, jealous of Herr Forehead? Why, I may have said that he is cute, but he is nothing to me, ja?" He tilted his head the same way Apollo did, but there was this innocent look in Apollo's eyes that Ema noticed albeit his normally fiery nature both in and out of court that just wasn't in Klavier.

"Ema, I have to go back to the crime scene…" Apollo said, almost absentmindedly, his eyes still intent on the autopsy report, "There's something odd here… I may be able to use this in court… When is trial again?"

"Day after next, Herr Forehead."

He looked up, his eyes disoriented. Apollo shook his head slightly. "That's great! Usually I only have half a day or so to investigate." He grinned at the prospect, almost shaking with excitement. "Man, this case is wonderful. Are you coming to the crime scene, Ema?"

"Sorry, Apollo, I have to stay. Apparently there's a meeting for this other case I'm under…"

"Oh, that's okay. I think I can manage."

After Apollo left, Klavier still stayed. "I can tell you that there is no meeting for the Adam case."

"I knew that perfectly well."

Klavier was slightly surprised. "Oh. That's all well, then."

Ema sat on her desk, so that she was on eye level with him. "Klavier Gavin, are you trying to charm me? By way that you were reacting to Apollo—"

"I have no ill feelings toward him," Klavier said musingly. "I think you would not take an interest in Herr Justice."

"Why is that?" Ema smiled smugly, enjoying this game of logic she started.

"Well, you simply do not seem the type. Herr Justice is like a younger, more passionate Herr Wright—they have a lot in common."

"I went along well with Mr. Wright on the SL-9 case, thank you."

"As for the other way around… well, it is possible, but as long as you say no to him, I still have a chance, ja?"

"So you admit it?" Ema asked quietly, not like her at all. Klavier showed faint signs of surprise, but smiled.

In one swift motion, he held her cheek in one hand, put the other around her waist, and pulled her in for a kiss. It was light, it was tender, and Ema almost relaxed for a bit.

A computer whirred to life in a nearby cubicle, and they broke apart abruptly. Ema blinked bemusedly, and slapped Klavier's hand which was on her waist. "Get away from me."

She didn't say it as angrily as she should have, and Klavier noticed. She actually _enjoyed_ the kiss. He smiled, leaned in to kiss her cheek and dodged an incoming slap.

"If anyone sees—"

"Fraulein, you have accepted me," Klavier murmured. "If you were truly angry about me kissing you, you would have said, 'If you kiss me again', ja?"

Ema turned away and blushed. "C-cut the logic and get away from here, Gavin."

Klavier tilted his head again. Ema realized that he didn't have to have that innocent glint in Apollo's eyes. He was wonderful in his own way.

_What the hell am I thinking?_

Well, okay, maybe her tiny little crush on Apollo had swollen a bit, but to suddenly like Klavier Gavin, this rock star prosecutor with an overblown ego? And to let him _kiss _her?

She shot a look around to make sure no one was watching, sighed, and held Klavier's cheek lightly.

"Maybe you're right."

Ema put her arms around his neck as she deepened the kiss.

* * *

Apollo arrived at the Wright Anything Agency just in time for dinner.

"Polly~!" Trucy called out. "Daddy, Polly's back!"

"Hey there, Apollo," Phoenix said, setting down another bowl of noodles. "Sorry, I had to take out from Eldoon's since I had no time to cook. Show went overtime."

"It was worth it, though," Trucy said musingly. "I must figure out that dissolving trick he did."

"How was your investigation, Apollo? Bass guitar case interesting enough?"

Apollo nodded happily. "More than enough, Mr. Wright. And I have one more day to investigate!"

"That's unusual… normally, the trial occurs one to two days after the actual murder. But that's good news, for such a baffling case…"

"Polly, Polly!" Trucy was almost bouncing. "Do I get to come tomorrow?"

"Of course, Trucy," Apollo said, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Ema looked for you today."

He smiled instinctively as the events of the afternoon flooded back to him.

* * *

Oh my. Here come the rabid fans who yell 'OOC!!!!!!!!!!!!!' at me.

*braces self*

I'm just proud that I managed to insert a mention of Edgeworth hahaha.

Finale to be uploaded… well, not so sure. XD


	3. Chapter 3

Finally!! WHOO YEAH. It's 12:10 in the morning here, but I knew I couldn't sleep when I'm still on a roll to write.

Enjoy the last chapter of Bystander, dears. :-* Notes at the bottom.

* * *

"Hey, look, Polly, it's a drum set!"

"Shh, Truce—" Apollo grabbed Trucy by the cape and tugged her gently away from the drum set.

Apollo was interviewing the other bandmate of the defendant and the victim. Late last night, Phoenix had poked Apollo awake and told him that a defense request had come in via fax. Apollo had muttered approval and dropped off to sleep again, only to be shaken awake by Trucy once more and dragged to the Detention Center.

Eric, their defendant, had in turn suggested that they talk to Stefan, the third member of the band. So Apollo did.

Stefan smiled bitterly. "No, it's okay. I don't mind."

"Thank you, Mister!" Trucy bounced to the seat.

"I'm sorry," Apollo said sheepishly, "She's overly excited about things like these…"

"It's fine, Mr. Justice. Now, I believe you wanted to ask me something?"

"Ah, yes. Er—I've heard this is a three-man band?"

"Yes. Just Eric, League, and me."

_What an unusual name_, Apollo thought. "League is the lead guitarist?"

"Eric is bass and vocalist, I play drums."

"Were there any grudges between them?"

"No," Stefan pondered, "to be honest, they were like brothers. Never saw one without the other. Well, I guess if there was something wrong, there's always a chance that I wouldn't know. They only tell each other everything."

Apollo continued the interrogation, and didn't find anything peculiar, nor did his bracelet react to anything. He fell into thoughtful silence. "So the whole suspicion rests on the fact that Eric's bass guitar was used…"

"You've forgotten about the dying message, Apollo."

Ema smiled at him from the doorway. "Hey there. I'm Detective Skye, in charge of the investigation of the murder of your bandmate." She shook hands with Stefan, who muttered a 'nice to meet you'. "I'll have to talk to you later, but firstly, can I have a word, Apollo?"

Apollo, taken aback, replied, "I guess…"

Trucy bounced off the seat and trodded to Apollo's side. Ema cast her a wary glance.

Once outside, Ema said, "Apollo, there's evidence that the bass might not have been the murder weapon at all. A more detailed autopsy report shows signs that the fatal blow was by a much smaller, thinner object. The blow from the bass guitar was administered postmortem."

"Uh… come again?"

"Simply put, it means that the bass guitar was not the real murder weapon."

Apollo and Trucy turned to the voice; Ema's lip quivered.

"Prosecutor Gavin!" Trucy said happily.

"Then it may have been a frame-up!" Apollo said enthusiastically, firing up at once, looking eager to construct a courtroom right then and there just to have a legal argument with Klavier.

"Shush, Herr Forehead," Klavier said, laughing. "It's too early to make assumptions, and an argument outside of court may prove worthless, ja? Battle me in court where there is law and order."

Apollo raised his eyebrows. "Order? I—"

"Let's wrap this up, shall we?" Ema said sharply. Apollo's bracelet reacted. _What? Not for a statement like that… _"What are you here for, Gavin?"

"Firstly, it's the bandmate…"

"Hey, Trucy…" Apollo muttered out of the corner of his mouth, letting Klavier talk to Ema.

"Yeah?"

"When does the perceive thing work?"

"Oh, so you sensed it too," Trucy grinned. "You sensed something from Detective Skye, didn't you?"

"Yes, but I thought she couldn't lie—it was a statement without fact!"

"Polly, the twitch manifests itself during times of uncertainty and alert, right?"

"Oh." Apollo struggled with the thought. "Wait, what—?"

"The point is," Trucy cut off Apollo's bewilderment, "If she's not uncertain, she's alert. And I'm betting Mr. Hat that Prosecutor Gavin is the cause." She grinned innocently.

They both looked around at Ema and Klavier and noticed something. Ema was closed-off toward Klavier as usual, but there was an embarassed air about her. Klavier was obviously trying to warm her up, also as usual, but Apollo could swear there was the faintest hint of a blush about his tanned cheeks.

"… Fraulein, is there a chance that I can get my hands on that report?"

"You _are_ a procesutor, Klavier."

Apollo smiled. Trucy recognized that smile; it was the smile he had in court when he'd just spotted a contradiction in an otherwise solid testimony. "What is it, Polly?"

Apollo dropped his voice even more. "Keep your pokerface on, Trucy… she called him 'Klavier'."

Trucy's pokerface had never failed her, and though you might expect her to this time around, it still did not. "Oh." She broke into the slightest of grins. "I'll allow you to run with it, now."

"Eh?" Apollo whipped around and spotted the tip of Ema's lab coat disappear around the corner. He turned to Klavier for answers.

"Fraulein Skye has gone to interrogate Herr Stefan," he said simply, "and holding me back here because I will, apparently, get in the way."

"Ah."

Klavier stood almost awkwardly. Apollo noted that it was the very first time he'd seen such; Klavier was, after all, a famous rock star and had the best people skills Apollo knew. Predictably, his bracelet reacted, and he sprung on it at once.

"Prosecutor Gavin, is something wrong?"

"Er, no, Herr Forehead. Why?"

"Because you have a nervous twitch—"

"Ah, that trick again, ja? Once again, Herr Forehead, we are not in court."

"But twitches don't just show in court." Apollo truly felt this situation weird. Normally it would be Klavier acting all cool with Apollo backed into a corner. "What's wrong? Did something happen between you and Frau—I mean, Detective Skye?"

"_Nothing_, Herr Justice. Now, if you truly want to make this a courtroom, let us make the basic tenet apply—where is your evidence?"

Apollo rolled his eyes. "You are a prosecutor after all." He thought about it, and noticed that Trucy had disappeared. Putting it aside, he said, "Well… has there ever been a piece of evidence proving attraction?"

Apollo had said it with a grin, and Klavier's blush grew more intense. But he managed to grin as widely as Apollo, looking like he was almost _enjoying_ being teased, as he said, "Now see here, Apollo," he tried to say warningly, "Nothing happened yesterday, and that's all."

He would have believed him if not for his bracelet going berserk. He pinpointed the word 'yesterday'. "What happened after I left Criminal Affairs?"

"Nothing!"

"Spill it! You're acting like a schoolgirl who's hiding who asked her to prom!"

"Herr Justice, that's not very nice—"

Trucy poked her head around the corner that Ema disappeared from. Klavier and Apollo straightened their faces. "Er… Prosecutor Gavin, Detective Skye says it's okay for you to interrogate Stefan now."

"Thank you, Fraulein." Klavier briefly grasped Apollo's shoulder. "See you around, Apollo."

Apollo smiled, that being the first time Klavier had called him by first name.

Trucy leapt to his side as Klavier disappeared. "What just happened?"

"Don't turn the attention to me, Trucy, I know you talked to Ema."

-xxxxx-

"Okay, so," Trucy said eagerly, once they had gotten back to the Wright Anything Agency, safely out of earshot of anyone. (Phoenix was back at the Borscht Bowl Club after receiving a request for a five-way poker tournament.) She bounced on the bed, which she and Apollo were sitting on. "I pulled her aside for a bit while she was looking scientifically around the room, and asked her why she didn't have her Snackoos."

"Hey, that's right!" Apollo smacked himself. "I should have noticed it!"

"Well, she had pretty much the same reaction," Trucy said musingly, "and I asked her how she could possibly forget it. She said something was pressing on her mind since yesterday—"

"That corroborates the other witn—I mean, Klavier's timeline—"

"—and I kept pressing her about it—"

"You're around attorneys too much, no?"

"—and she said that Prosecutor Gavin kissed her in Criminal Affairs yesterday."

"Oh, well that—wait, WHAT?"

Trucy grinned. "I _told_ you it was Prosecutor Gavin, Polly."

Apollo was too busy processing information. "So if Ema is dazed…"

"… she must like him, too." Trucy watched Apollo carefully. "Hey, you know, Detective Skye told me something else…"

"What's that?"

"She said that Mr. Gavin was acting like he was jealous of you. Did he have any reason to?"

"No, Trucy, aside from the fact that she handles all my cases."

No twitch.

"Stop that, Trucy, I know you're searching me for twitches." He leaned back on the bed and crossed his arms hehind his head. "I've found the girl for me already, and it's not Ema, sorry."

He'd slipped. Trucy laughed in triumph. "POLLY! Who is it?" She started to tickle him.

"Haha, hey, no, I'm not telling—"

"Apollo? Trucy?"

Apollo laughed in relief as Phoenix walked in on Trucy cornering him.

-xxxxx-

Meanwhile, Ema was in Klavier's office, giving him the report for the impression of the real murder weapon.

"Ah, thank you, Fraulein."

She watched as he pulled the file open and started to read. "Trucy asked me about you."

Klavier stopped. "So that was their plan."

"Excuse me?"

He stood and walked around the desk. "Herr Justice also asked me about yesterday. Now, how could they have known?"

"Don't look at me, do I look like the kind to brag about… that?"

"Frankly, I'm surprised you even brought this up at all," Klavier said teasingly. "As you said yesterday, it was nothing special, ja?"

Ema blushed. "That's true." She stood awkwardly for a while. "Eh… I guess I better get going."

Her hand was on the doorknob when Klavier called, "Wait, you forgot this."

She could have sworn he was more than five feet away when he said it, but his face was inches from hers when she turned.

His lips met hers once more, but he pulled away and kissed her cheek.

"Be safe, Ema."

-xxxxx-

Back at the Wright Anything Agency, Apollo whispered to Trucy, "It's Vera. Now please shut up?"

* * *

NOTES:

- The ApolloxTrucy scene is purely brother-sisterly love. Apollo is the brother I never had *_* So you get how relevant Apollo and Trucy are to me.

- When I was writing out Trucy's teasing, I sort of made my mind up on the spot to ship ApolloxVera. :P

- I'm planning to write a third fic, a sequel to either Rosebush or Bystander, because Apollo and Trucy as in-universe KlaverxEma shippers is way too adorable for me to resist. :3

That aside, what did you think? :)


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